


Festival Time!

by hkandi



Series: Summer Shinobi Sports Competition [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: And we're off!, Ceremonies, Community: kakairu_fest, Festivals, Gen, KakaIru Fest Summer 2020, M/M, Summer, Tanabata, Team picture time!, Teamwork makes the dreamwork, eyes on you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:54:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25767043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hkandi/pseuds/hkandi
Summary: Konoha has a few festivals in the same week - Tanabata, a general summer one, and, perhaps most importantly, one to celebrate the start of the summer shinobi sports competition!In which, Iruka and Kakashi start working together...
Relationships: Dai-hachi-han | Team 8 & Yuuhi Kurenai, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Hatake Kakashi, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Umino Iruka, Gai-han | Team Guy & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Sarutobi Asuma & Dai-jippan | Team 10
Series: Summer Shinobi Sports Competition [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1861750
Comments: 4
Kudos: 76
Collections: Nine Weeks of Summer 2020





	Festival Time!

(I don't own any characters etc etc)

"Did you hear?" Ino said as she met up with Hinata and Sakura. "Konoha announced its big festival this summer!"

"What?" Tenten asked, as she joined them. Although she was not in their graduating class, the genin of Konoha had still been introduced even though the chuunin exam was not occurring, and so she had begun to spend more time with the other girls.

"Yep!" Ino said, showing them a flyer.

"Tanabata is being held as usual," Sakura read, "and with it a few extra days of a summer festival, as Konoha usually does, but they're combining the two this year."

"T-that's nice!" Hinata said. "Something for everyone!"

"Plus, look at this," Tenten said, pointing towards the bottom. "Our shinobi competition is part of it, making it even bigger!"

"Ooh! The teams are formally announced!" Ino squealed.

"And the events starts in the festival!" Sakura shouted.

"WHAT?!" they all shouted and leaned closer to read it.

"Teamwork will be observed for a general baseline, as well as other factors that will only be known to the judges," Tenten read.

"That's going to be a lot," Hinata frowned.

The kunoichi sat in silence, taking in the information, before exchanging looks.

"We don't have much time..." Ino began.

"A-and there's a lot to do..." Hinata continued.

"Lots to plan..." Tenten mused.

Sakura stood up. "To our teams!" she shouted, and the group dispersed.

_______

The Tanabata Festival was held a few days later, on July 7th, and Team 7 convinced Iruka and Kakashi to join them.

Kakashi and Sasuke grumbled as they walked around.

"This is good practice for teamwork," Iruka mused. "Spending time together like this."

"And to think of wishes," Sakura said. "What will you wish for, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, batting her eyelashes at him.

"Hn," he said. "Aside from revenge on my brother?"

Sakura rolled her eyes and played with her long pink hair. "Well, yes, aside from that."

Sasuke thought about it. "Victory this summer!"

Sakura sighed and threw up her hands, and Iruka laughed from where he was walking behind them.

"The kids can sure be a handful, eh?" he asked Kakashi, who was reading his book.

"Hmm?" Kakashi said, not looking up from his book.

Iruka frowned and reached over, plucking the book from his hands. 

Kakashi's visible eye widened, and the genin gasped.

Iruka gently closed the book and smiled at them. "Now, now, we need to start acting like a team, and paying attention to each other more. No more focusing on just one person, and no sticking our noses in books when we should be bonding. And certainly nothing inappropriate that children could see!" He handed Kakashi the book back. "I'm sure we'll lose points if you have it out, so please exercise more caution and awareness, Kakashi-sensei."

Iruka put his hands on his hips and looked around.

"Now, what should we do first? Write wishes, or get food?"

The genin cheered for food, and Iruka followed them to a vendor, Kakashi following after a moment.

"Maa, I'm perfectly capable of both reading and watching genin," Kakashi complained to Iruka.

"I'm sure you are," Iruka said, passing food from the stall to Kakashi and thanking the vendor. "But the judges won't know or care. They'll see you reading terrible books around impressionable minds, and will think you're not paying attention."

"As long as they don't kill themselves, the kids are fine," Kakashi argued, but Iruka just shook his head.

They began to walk around and eat, before finally deciding to write their wishes on a tree.

"You have to put yours up in separate spaces," Sakura told the others. "That way we don't see it and you can be really, truly honest about your wish! You're doing this too, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi rolled his visible eye but her teammates agreed with her, if only to avoid her wrath, and did as instructed. And for the rest of the day, they didn't say another word about wishes.

_______

The team took part of that day and the next to plan more, and before they knew it, it was the day of the shinobi competition part of the festival.

Iruka met the genin at their normal meeting place, and they reviewed their plans.

"Kakashi-sensei is already twenty minutes late today," Naruto complained. "We're going to miss the whole thing before he gets here!"

Iruka smiled. "Have patience, Naruto. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

Kakashi did arrive, about ten minutes later.

"You're late!" the genin shouted at him, frowning.

"Maa, I had to help a black cat that broke a mirror on a sidewalk crack," Kakashi began, but the genin rolled their eyes.

"I think this is a good time to discuss our teamwork strategies," Iruka said, clapping his hands together. "For example, I took the liberty of planning today, including what we will do and when. That began with meeting this morning."

"Which you were late for!" Naruto shouted at Kakashi.

"Yes," Iruka began before Kakashi could speak. "He was late. But, I took that into account, though I do hope he won't be late to our training sessions in the future." Four silent people turned to look at him, so Iruka continued. "I assumed that your sensei would not only be late, but be extra late today as it is probably not an event he's looking forward to. So, I planned around that. I suggested that Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto meet me at a certain time, but passed along a different time to Kakashi-sensei. A much different time."

Sakura smiled. "So, he thought that we were getting here much earlier than we actually did, and so when he came here thirty minutes late, he thought it would be like two hours later than when we got here!"

Iruka nodded and Kakashi shrugged.

"He's got your number now," Sasuke laughed at Kakashi. "You're in trouble with him on our team."

"After all," Iruka said, "we can't risk being late today. If anything, we'll get there only half an hour into the events starting, so not too late and not too early."

"And with plenty of time to see and do everything!" Naruto added, cheering.

And with that, they set off.

"Kakashi-sensei had better not underestimate Iruka-sensei anymore," Sakura whispered to her teammates, who nodded in agreement.

_____

"First, why don't we get the team picture out of the way?" Iruka suggested.

"Yes please!" Sakura said. "I want to look my best!"

"Team picture?" Kakashi asked, and Sasuke groaned.

"Duh!" Naruto said. "All teams have to take a picture. They'll need to have one of us, for when we win!"

They got in line behind Gai's team, and greeted them, as they had met briefly at the meeting announcing the cancellation of the chuunin exams.

"Where are your adults?" Sakura asked.

"Why, want to see who you're going to lose to?" a voice said, joining them.

"Genma!" Iruka laughed. "That's a lot of trash talking from someone who swallows his senbon regularly."

"Hey! One time I did that, one time!"

"Rival!" a voice boomed before anyone could respond. "How good to see your youthful team preparing for this amazing competition!"

"Gai," Kakashi sighed in greeting.

"And you have a teacher as your partner!" Gai exclaimed. "Such a cunning move! But as good as your team is, you will be no match for my spirited companions!"

Tenten and Neji rolled their eyes, and Lee jumped up and down in excitement.

"You're still going to lose, Bushybrows," Naruto told him.

"We will win with the power of youth!" Lee said. "And perhaps then you will allow me to take you to dinner, Sakura!"

Sakura blushed and turned away, mumbling something no one could hear.

"That's cute," a new voice said behind them, and Team 7 turned to see Team 8.

"Hey, Kiba!" Naruto greeted them. "Isn't this going to be great?!"

"Sure is," Kiba said. "Get ready to lose, everyone! We're a team full of Inuzukas, no one can compete with us!"

"What?" Tenten asked.

"Kiba's sister is joining us," Kurenai said. "And with Shino and Hinata, I think we're a very strong team indeed!"

The adults began to talk, with Hana joining a few minutes later, and the genin talked amongst themselves.

Soon it was time for Team 7, and they entered the photography studio.

"Alright," the photographer, an older man said. "Places, places."

He realized who he had in front of him and his face paled at the memories of trying to get them to take their genin team picture.

"No...no....I can't..." he whispered.

Kakashi and Iruka exchanged a look.

"Umm," Iruka said, "how about, genin in the front, Kakashi-sensei and I in the back? This is a big moment, so let's get a nice picture, okay? Then we can go get a snack."

To Kakashi's surprise, Naruto and Sakura cheered, and Sasuke shrugged.

Then, to the photographer and Kakashi's amazement, the children organized themselves and posed nicely, and the adults stood in the back.

It was similar to their genin picture, with Sasuke on the left, Naruto on the right, and Sakura in the middle.

But this time, the children were all smiling (or, in Sasuke's case, smirking) at the camera and Kakashi stood with a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. Iruka next to him with a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"My my," the photographer said, capturing it, "that will be a nice picture, a very nice picture. Who'd have thought..."

Iruka laughed and ushered everyone out.

On their way out, they passed Team 10.

"Guess who now has two pictures with Sasuke-kun," Sakura whispered proudly to Ino as she passed. "So there, Ino-pig!"

"Whatever, Billboard-brow," Ino said, flipping her ponytail. "You're going to lose to us! My dad's on our team, so we're that much stronger!

Kakashi and Iruka ushered their team along, lest the girls start fighting.

"Sakura," Kakashi said as they walked. "I know you're not on the best of terms with the Yamanaka girl, but maybe this summer will help in being...more polite towards her? As Iruka-sensei has reminded us, we'll be observed without us knowing, and insulting her could deduct points from all the hard work I'm sure you're going to do."

Sakura looked embarassed but nodded. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei."

Iruka smiled at them. "That's a very nice motivational talk, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi gave him a closed-eye smile. "I try. After all, Sakura, save the trash talk for the events, right?"

Iruka sighed and shook his head while Sakura cheered.

The adults took their genin to get something to eat, and the team spent more time wandering and playing a game here and there, before Iruka checked the time.

"We'd best head over to the stage," he said, leading the way.

"What's happening there?" Naruto asked.

"That's where all the teams are being announced," Sakura said.

"It's like the formal start," Iruka said. "The competition starts as soon as you're announced."

"So everyone look like you're having fun, and ready to compete," Kakashi suggested, and the genin nodded.

There was a large number of shinobi milling around, and many other shinobi and civilians seated ready for the show.

"Genin teams to my left, all other teams to my right!" a competition staff member was shouting, and they headed to their area, standing near the edge of the chuunin/jonin teams.

"Hey, Ru!" someone shouted and Iruka turned.

"Hey, Izumo! I'm glad you're competing!" Iruka replied, before turning to his team and introducing them. "This is Izumo, one of my good friends and coworkers. I'm guessing you're competing with...yep, here's Kotetsu, another of my good friends and coworkers."

"Too bad the three of us couldn't be a team," Kotetsu said. "We'd win for sure!" He looked at the genin. "Good on you for snagging him first though!"

"Who else is on your team?" Sakura asked.

"Me!" Anko shouted, gleefully running over.

Iruka laughed. "That's an amazing team! If you don't win, you'll have the most fun for sure! Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, you would have met these three at the exams, they'd have been your proctors, but now they get to watch us win the genin division!"

Anko laughed. "I'll definitely cheer for your team!"

The Hokage was approaching the stage and the teams quieted down.

"Welcome," Sarutobi said. "Thank you all for coming to support our shinobi teams, and for those participating. This is a fine tradition we are continuing, and I look forward to seeing a wide range of skills put to the test, as well as personal and team growth. Remember, there will be many surprises this summer, and you never know who will be watching. Good luck to you all!"

The crowds cheered, and the genin teams were ushered onto the stage.

"There's more teams than I thought there would be," Naruto said, surprised.

"Well, I think it's due to the exams being cancelled," Iruka said. "A lot of the teams would be testing to move to chuunin now, so in addition to all the new teams that wouldn't have even been at the exam, there's a bunch who are going to be genin for longer than they hoped."

"Do you think we still have a chance at winning?" Sakura asked the adults, and Iruka and Kakashi nodded, and she smiled.

After the genin teams were announced, they left the stage and stuck around to watch some of the chuunin/jonin teams before walking around learning more about the competition.

"Sometimes we'll know the judges because they'll have a red armband," Kakashi told his team, nodding to some shinobi and civilian judges.

"Civilian judges?" Sasuke asked, surprised. "I thought this was just for shinobi."

Iruka nodded. "Well, now that it's begun, we can be under scrutiny anywhere. Just as shinobi are expected to treat everyone with respect, civilians can monitor us for teamwork, behaviors, manners, and so on, whenever and wherever we are."

"Oh brother," Naruto sighed. "There's so much to watch for!"

"But look!" Sakura shrieked. "We already have ten points!"

They followed her gaze and headed to a large scoreboard. Sure enough, they already had points up!

"For outstanding teamwork," Sasuke read, as descriptions of points were included. "Hn."

"I think it was the picture," Iruka whispered. "No fuss, and we all seemed to be happy to be there. You had quite the reputation after your previous team photo."

The genin and Kakashi groaned.

"Don't remind me," Kakashi sighed, and Iruka laughed.

"It's a good start, though," Iruka cheered. "Here's hoping it's the first of many points!"

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and suggestions welcomed!
> 
> Let's connect, I'm on [tumblr](https://hkandiu.tumblr.com/)


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